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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25958812">Child of Magic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonPoxHerondale/pseuds/DemonPoxHerondale'>DemonPoxHerondale</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), Crossover, Hogwarts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:40:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,983</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25958812</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonPoxHerondale/pseuds/DemonPoxHerondale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the twitter post "Isn't it nice that Hogwarts and Camp-Half Blood operate on opposite seasonal schedules, implying that you could reasonably be both a wizard and a demigod without missing any classes"</p><p>Harper Davis is spending the summer before her sixth year at Hogwarts in New York with her aunt. After being attacked by a griffin at Central Park, she meets two teens who explain to her that she is a demigod, and take her to a camp. At the same time, a mysterious darkness is spreading over England, and her home, her friends, and her family are all in danger.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Also, we've never read Trials of Apollo so this fic completely ignores all of that.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harper tapped furiously on her phone. </p><p> </p><p>YOU ARE NOT GOING TO KNOCKTURN ALLEY ALONE</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Remy </em>
</p><p>But I want toooooo</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Blake </em>
</p><p>You are actually insane</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Elaina </em>
</p><p>I don’t see the issue we’re about to be 6th Years<br/>She can handle herself</p><p> </p><p>ELAINA!!</p><p>DONT ENCOURAGE HER</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Blake </em>
</p><p>Especially with all the weird darkness stuff happening</p><p>at the forbidden forest</p><p> </p><p>Yeah that’s so weird I honestly can’t believe</p><p> they haven’t figured that out yet</p><p>But Remy will you at least wait until I get back </p><p>and then we can all go together</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Blake </em>
</p><p>Um or we could just not go at all</p><p> </p><p>Shhh maybe by September she’ll get over it</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Remy </em>
</p><p>I’m setting a reminder and we’re doing this as soon as you get home</p><p>How’s the American life Harper</p><p> </p><p>My aunt took me to times square yesterday</p><p>It was WILD</p><p>We almost lost Andrew</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Remy </em>
</p><p>rip</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Blake </em>
</p><p>OML is he okay</p><p> </p><p>Yeah we found him by the Disney store he’s fine</p><p>And now it’s his birthday and I have to buy him a birthday<br/>present with my $20 send help</p><p>I only just met this kid last week how am I supposed to<br/>know what to buyyyy</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Remy </em>
</p><p>How much does one of those child leashes cost</p><p> </p><p>REMY</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Elaina </em>
</p><p>What about something Disney</p><p> </p><p>Oooo I like the way you think</p><p>Ugh I still can’t believe my mom would just ship me<br/>off to NY like this</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Blake </em>
</p><p>Alright Harper no need to bitch about it again</p><p> </p><p>:(</p><p> </p><p>Harper stumbled over a rock and glanced up from her phone. A chill ran down her spine, and she spun around at the feel of someone’s eyes on her. And there, perched at the top of a building across the street, was a massive creature. It had a sleek orange body, but the fur blended into feathers at the neck, and it had its beady eagle eyes locked onto her. A griffin.</p><p> </p><p>What was a griffin doing in the middle of Central Park? She glanced around at the other people around her, none of whom looked the least bit concerned. After a week in New York, Harper was learning that there were some pretty strange sights to see, and that the locals seemed unphased by many things that were shocking to her. But this seemed excessive. It didn’t look like a costume. If it was, it was a very well-made one. But it didn’t seem to be doing anything, and Harper had a job to do. She turned her back on the griffin and kept walking. Then, she felt something swoop over her head, and the griffin landed in her path, facing her from about ten feet away.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, great,” Harper muttered. She took a small step backward, and the griffin followed, its eyes still on her. “Hey there Mr. Griffin, how are you doing? Fine day to be out for a stroll in the park. Now you enjoy your walk, and I’ll just be going, yeah?” She took another step backward. The griffin didn’t move. Harper took a slightly bigger step back and when the griffin still didn’t follow, she began to rapidly back away.</p><p> </p><p>Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two teenagers peeking out from behind a statue. The boy had started to walk towards her, then the girl yanked him back. There was something weird about them, but she didn’t have time to think about it because, with a loud squawk and a flap of its wings, the griffin gave chase. A couple of passersby let out a yell and pointed. But still, their level of alarm did not seem to be appropriate for the situation.</p><p> </p><p>Harper brought her hand around to where her wand was poking out of her backpack but hesitated. She wasn’t supposed to use magic in public, and the punishment could be severe, but she was willing to risk it if her life was at stake. The griffin was approaching rapidly, and she didn’t see another option. With a deep breath, she pulled her wand out and held it in front of her. </p><p> </p><p>“<em> Brachiabindo! </em>” Harper yelled, and a thick rope shot out of her wand and wrapped tightly around the griffin. It dropped to the ground, landing so hard that the pavement shook. Harper clutched her wand tightly in her palm and approached the griffin cautiously. It was thrashing around, but the bindings held.</p><p> </p><p>The two teens she had been watching ran out from behind their statue. The girl approached her, and the guy headed towards the griffin, for some reason while uncapping a pen. Weird.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you?” the girl asked. “And how did you do what you did to the griffin?”</p><p> </p><p>Harper was about to answer but was distracted by the fact that the guy was suddenly holding a glowing bronze sword. He slashed down at the griffin and it exploded into dust. “What. . . how did <em> he </em> do <em> that </em>?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Is this the first monster you’ve come across?” the girl asked. “Because from the way you tied it up, it looks like you’ve got some experience. But all monsters turn to dust when they die.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, they most definitely do not,” Harper said. “I’ve never seen that happen before. But I’ve also never seen a monster just hanging out in a park. Does this happen often in America?”</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you from? What are you?” the girl demanded.</p><p> </p><p>“My name is Harper,” Harper said cautiously. “I’m from England. What are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Annabeth. This is Percy,” she gestured to the boy with the—wait, where did the sword go? “As for what we are . . . Well, why don’t you go first?”</p><p> </p><p>Harper hesitated. She couldn’t tell a muggle about magic, but clearly these two weren’t ordinary. Did that mean she could tell them, or would that still be breaking all the rules?</p><p> </p><p>“I, uh, really can’t say. I’m sorry. Could you go first? And then maybe I can explain, I just, um. . .” Harper trailed off.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth looked unconvinced.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, we owe her some kind of explanation,” Percy said,  “She can clearly see through the mist. Besides, she just tied up a Griffin all on her own. She’s definitely not a regular mortal.”</p><p> </p><p><em> Mortal? </em> Harper thought.</p><p> </p><p>Annabeth bit her lip and gave Harper a hard look. “Fine. Have you ever heard of the Greek gods?”</p><p> </p><p>“Like Zeus, and Hades, and Athena?” Harper asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, although be careful throwing names around so casually. They’re all real. And Percy and I—”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” Harper interrupted. “You’re trying to tell me that all that mythology stuff actually exists? No way. Sorry, but no.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true,” Percy said gently, stepping closer. “Trust us, we’ve met them. Poseidon is my dad. I have power over water.”</p><p> </p><p>Harper shook her head.</p><p> </p><p>“And I’m a daughter of Athena,” Annabeth said.</p><p> </p><p>“So they’re real, and they have kids? You lot are nuts.” But even as she said it, Harper was beginning to doubt herself. She’d seen the disbelief on muggle-borns’ faces when they first showed up at Hogwarts. Maybe this wasn’t so different.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve told you who we are. Now it’s your turn. You obviously aren’t a regular mortal. This may be hard to believe, but I bet whatever you’re hiding is equally as unbelievable to most people,” Annabeth said, looking pointedly at the wand still in Harper’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Right,” Harper said. She twisted her wand between her fingers. It seemed like it was time to explain. She only hoped the Ministry would be understanding if they ever found out. “I’m a wizard.”</p><p> </p><p>Percy gasped, and he and Annabeth stepped back. It seemed like a dramatic reaction to her announcement, especially from people who claimed to be the children of gods. </p><p> </p><p>“Apollo,” Percy muttered, gazing at the space over Harper’s head. She slowly looked up and was nearly blinded by the glowing yellow sun hovering above her.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright then, I think we need to get you to camp,” Annabeth said.</p><p> </p><p>“Camp?” Harper asked. “What’s going on?” The sun symbol above her head had faded and she could hardly make out the outline anymore.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve just been claimed,” Annabeth said grimly.</p><p> </p><p>“Hail, Harper—wait, what’s your last name?” Percy asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Davis, but—”</p><p> </p><p>“Hail, Harper Davis, daughter of Apollo, god of archery, music, poetry, healing, the sun . . . Wow, Apollo is a busy guy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Percy,” Annabeth scolded.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” he said. “Anyway, Harper, Apollo has just claimed you as his child.” Percy dropped to his knees, and Annabeth followed.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing? What is happening? I’m not . . . I can’t be . . .” Harper felt dizzy.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Percy said gently. He got to his feet and took her arm. “Let’s get you back to camp. It’s safe there, and we can explain everything. And you can explain what you meant when you said you were a wizard.”</p><p> </p><p>Harper nodded weakly and allowed herself to be led off by Percy and Annabeth. She followed them to a secluded area of the park.</p><p> </p><p>“Blackjack!” Percy called, and almost immediately two winged horses swooped out of the sky. “Hey, buddy,” Percy said, then paused. “No, I don’t have any donuts. Maybe later. I need you to get us to camp.” Percy turned to Harper. “This is Blackjack and his friend Porkpie. You get to ride Blackjack with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Harper backed away. “I’m not getting on that thing.” Blackjack neighed angrily.</p><p> </p><p>“He doesn’t appreciate being called a ‘thing.’ He’s a pegasus,” Percy said. “It’s perfectly safe. Blackjack is an expert flier, and I’ll hold onto you the whole time. Besides, camp is only a few minutes away.” His voice softened. “Trust me.” Harper sighed and allowed Percy to help her onto the pegasus. He jumped up behind her and Blackjack took off. </p><p> </p><p>It turned out that riding a pegasus was a lot like riding a broomstick. Actually, it was more comfortable. Before she knew it, the pegasi began to descend, gently landing in a field in front of a big house. The three of them hopped down, and the horses flew off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed! We're hoping to update daily. Drop a comment and let us know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, Percy!” a blond-haired boy called, jogging up to them. He, like most other people around, was wearing a bright orange t-shirt that read “Camp Half-Blood.”</p><p>“Hi, Will,” Percy said. “Harper, this is Will. He’s your brother.”</p><p>“Uh…”</p><p>“His dad is Apollo, like you.”</p><p>“Oh cool, another Apollo kid! Welcome to cabin 7, Harper!” He smiled so bright that Harper couldn’t help but offer up a small smile in return.</p><p>“I’m still not on board with all of that, but sure.”</p><p>“I know everything seems a bit weird right now, but it’ll start to make more sense,” Will reassured her.</p><p>“If you say so.”</p><p>“Come on, we should go talk to Chiron,” Percy interrupted. He and Annabeth started up the hill towards the house, and Harper followed behind. When she caught up to them, Percy said, “Welcome to the Big House. This is where Chiron, the director, lives. It’s also where we have all our important demigod meetings and things.” Annabeth rolled her eyes at the description and reached for the doorknob.</p><p>“The Big House? Really? Don’t you think that’s a bit . . . on the nose?”</p><p>“I suppose,” Percy said. “Just come on.”</p><p>With a sigh, Harper followed the two of them inside, and immediately stopped short. Standing on the other side of the room was a large white horse, and as her eyes moved higher, she realized that it wasn’t a horse at all, but a centaur. He turned around to face them.</p><p>“This is Chiron,” Annabeth said. “Chiron, this is Harper. We found her in Central Park. A griffin attacked, and she tied it up with what seemed to be magic. She says she’s a wizard, but we were interrupted before we really got to talk about it.”</p><p>“Why don’t we all sit down and have some Diet Coke?” Chiron said. “Harper, it is very nice to meet you.” He walked over and held down his hand to shake. Harper shook it and followed him over to a table surrounded by a few wooden chairs and an old wheelchair. Percy and Annabeth sat down, and Percy handed her a silver can. Harper perched on the edge of her chair and watched, transfixed, as Chiron lowered himself into the wheelchair, his horse body folding into the impossibly tiny space. She’d never seen a transfiguration like that before, and without a verbal spell nonetheless.</p><p>“Have a drink,” Chiron urged. “And tell us what you mean by ‘wizard.’”</p><p>Harper cracked open the can and took a small sip. She’d never been a huge fan of soda. Butterbeer was definitely far superior. She put the can down and pulled her wand out of her pocket, the familiar feel of the smooth wood helping to ground her. She took a deep breath.</p><p>“I’m a wizard,” Harper began. “Magic is real, aside from all your stuff with the gods. I’d never heard of any of that until today. But I go to a Wizarding school back in England, and learn spells, and use my wand. There’s lots of magical creatures, which seem pretty similar to your magical creatures.” She trailed off, not sure what else to say.</p><p>“I’ve never heard of anything like that existing,” Annabeth said, leaning forward in her seat. She turned to Chiron. “Have you?”</p><p>“No. Any magic I know of is tied to the gods. Is it possible these are all children of Hecate, and they train and use their powers in a different way than her children do here?”</p><p>Harper’s phone buzzed, but she ignored it and shook her head. “Magic is mostly passed down from parent to child. And there are way too many of us for one person to have possibly had so many children.”</p><p>“Besides, Apollo claimed her just before we got here,” Percy interjected. Harper felt a few more buzzes from her phone. Now was not the time for the gang to be having an intense conversation.</p><p>“I see. Harper, could you explain a bit more about what the wizarding world is like?”</p><p>She opened her mouth to say something when her phone buzzed again. Frustrated, she took her phone out of her pocket, wanting to mute the group chat. “Sorry, I just . . .” Harper looked down at the last message from Blake.</p><p><em>Blake</em><br/>A fourth year was attacked by one of those giant spiders in the courtyard</p><p>And then,</p><p><em>Blake</em><br/>He’s alive but he’s in a coma</p><p><em>Elaina</em><br/>Guys the sunlight in my backyard is flickering<br/>Wth this is creepy</p><p>Annabeth cleared her throat, startling Harper. She looked up from her phone. “Phones attract monsters,” Annabeth said. “Demigods aren’t allowed to have them.”</p><p>“Sorry, I just, this weird darkness is spreading through England. And someone from my school just got attacked by a monster in a place where it’s supposed to be safe.”</p><p>“That’s really not our concern right now,” Annabeth said. “Put your phone away and focus.”</p><p>“No,” Harper insisted. “You don’t understand, it’s not just monsters, it’s this darkness. Complete darkness, no sunlight. And it’s spreading through England.”</p><p>“There’s never sunlight in England,” Percy pointed out.</p><p>“Darkness? And in England. It must be . . .” Chiron trailed off. He exchanged a look with Annabeth.</p><p>“Yes, I’m sure it is. I’m going to get Thalia.” Annabeth stood up and jogged out the door.</p><p>“Wait, what? Do you know what’s going on?” Harper asked, frustrated.</p><p>“Thalia is the leader of the Hunters of Artemis, which is a group of maidens sworn to serve the goddess Artemis, your father’s twin sister. They travel the world killing monsters and doing what Artemis needs. A week ago, the Hunters arrived here at camp surrounded by a shroud of darkness. Thalia says they were hunting in a forest in England when Artemis realized one of them had mistakenly killed one of Apollo’s sacred cattle, and Artemis sent all the Hunters here immediately,” Chiron explained.</p><p>“So my aunt has a group of girls who work for her, and now it’s dark wherever they go? And they killed my dad’s cow? Does this sort of thing happen a lot?” Harper asked.</p><p>“Essentially yes, although we tend not to refer to the family tree in quite that way. It gets a bit confusing. As for how often this happens . . . well, this specific thing has not happened before. But odd things overall are pretty commonplace here.”</p><p>“Right. Well, is it possible some Hunters were left behind and are the reason it’s dark there?” Harper asked.</p><p>“No. All the Hunters are here and accounted for. Ah, here’s Thalia now. Maybe she can bring some more clarity to the situation.”</p><p>Harper turned to the door and saw Annabeth was back, trailed by a girl who looked to be around Harper’s age, with choppy black hair, striking blue eyes, and a silver circlet around her head. More notably, a small cloud of darkness billowed around her.</p><p>“Thalia, meet Harper. She’s here from England, and she was just claimed as a child of Apollo. There’s more to it, but we’ll discuss all that later. More importantly, she says the darkness continues to spread in England, though all the Hunters are here,” Chiron said.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Harper. England was, uh, a very interesting place to be,” Thalia said. “Last week, we were there with Artemis hunting a monster that we’d been tracking all across Europe. It seems one of our newest Hunters wandered off on her own and ran into one of Apollo’s sacred cows. She thought it was the monster we were after, so she killed it. As soon as Artemis saw what the Hunter had done, she sent us all here. The darkness has been following us ever since.” She waved her arms around her to make her point. “Did you say it’s still dark in England?”</p><p>“Yes. There’s a forest right outside the school I go to, and it’s been dark for a week. At first, it wasn’t much of a problem, just some darkness. We’re used to weird things happening. But it’s starting to spread beyond just the forest to the school, and I just heard that a kid who goes to our school was attacked by a monster that doesn’t normally stray beyond the forest.”</p><p>“Hold up,” Thalia said. “You were claimed today. But you know about monsters in the forest by your school?”</p><p>“Oh,” Harper said. “Yes, see, the thing is, I’m actually a wizard.”</p><p>“A wizard,” Thalia said flatly.</p><p>“Yes. I have a wand—” she pulled it out to show Thalia, “—and I go to a school where we learn magic. I didn’t know about the Greek gods until today. It’s kind of weird that this whole thing with Artemis and Apollo is happening in a magic forest when it doesn’t seem like our worlds have ever crossed before.”</p><p>Thalia looked at Percy and Annabeth, and then back at Harper. “Honestly, I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore,” she said. “You’re a wizard. Okay.”</p><p>“I think we need to find out more about this darkness in England,” Chiron said. “Harper, I know we’ve told you not to use your phone, but could you contact someone who’s there to get a better description of the darkness?”</p><p>“Yeah, I can call someone.” Harper pulled out her phone and skimmed the latest wave of texts. Elaina’s whole house was surrounded, and Blake and Remy could see it in the distance.</p><p>“But don’t tell them anything,” Annabeth said. “We’ll all be quiet. Just act like you’re curious and find out as much as you can.”</p><p>Harper nodded and pushed her chair closer to the wall before pressing on the Facetime button in their group chat.</p><p>“Harper!” Blake exclaimed. Remy and Elaina picked up quickly after. “This darkness shit is wild.”</p><p>“Yeah, it sounds like it. Elaina, what’s going on? It seems like you’re closest to all this.”</p><p>“We started seeing the cloud building near the forest from our window last week, but we didn’t think much of it. I know the Ministry sent some people to check it out, but they didn’t come up with much. Then it started expanding and less and less sunlight would come in through our windows as time went on. The cloud finally reached our house and now we can’t really see anything. It looks like it’s nighttime, even though it’s the afternoon.”</p><p>“Can I see?”</p><p>“Yeah, one sec.” Elaina flipped her camera. Harper could see that all the lights in the room were on, but outside the window it was dark. If she looked closely, she could almost see the darkness billowing, like smoke. Remy and Blake were silent.</p><p>“That looks terrifying.”</p><p>“Yeah, the news is just covering it as a big storm, but there’s nothing normal about it.”</p><p>“Is it, like, moving?”</p><p>“Yeah, I can send you a video of it, it’ll probably be clearer that way. But it’s really scary, you guys. The Ministry is trying to act like they have it all under control, but it’s so obvious they have no idea what’s going on.”</p><p>“Typical,” said Blake. He rolled his eyes.</p><p>“At the rate it’s going, it’s probably going to reach Blake and me tonight or tomorrow,” Remy said.</p><p>Harper glanced up at Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, and Chiron and tried to ask with her eyes if they had any more questions for Elaina.</p><p>“Is that your aunt? Hi, Mrs. Davis!”</p><p>Harper cringed.</p><p>“Hey there! Harper, come on, it’s time for lunch,” Annabeth said in a weirdly high voice.</p><p>Harper nodded, doing her best to keep a straight face, and said her goodbyes. “Stay safe, guys! I’ll talk to you all soon.” She waved and ended the call. A few moments later, her phone buzzed again with the video from Elaina, and she put her phone flat on the table so they could all watch.</p><p>“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Chiron remarked.</p><p>“Me neither,” Annabeth said.</p><p>“Harper, it’s been quite the morning,” Chiron said. “Why don’t you go get settled in while the rest of us discuss our next steps? Percy, can you take her to Will? And Harper, please don’t mention anything about wizards or the darkness to the other campers until we figure out more. We’ll come find you later.”</p><p>Harper wanted to protest, but she was exhausted, and a break didn’t sound too bad. She followed Percy out of the Big House.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They headed to the Apollo cabin, where they didn’t find Will but did find a girl named Kayla, who told them that Will was having a picnic with Nico down by the lake.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Kayla!” Percy said, leading Harper back out of the cabin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Who’s Nico?” Harper asked as they walked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Son of Hades. And Will’s boyfriend,” Percy said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>On their way to the lake, Percy pointed out a couple things around them. The volleyball courts here, the arts and crafts space there. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As they passed the bathrooms, Percy said, “I made them all explode once, you know. There was water </span>
  <em>
    <span>everywhere.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Harper tried to picture it and grimaced. It reminded her of the time she made the mistake of trying to use Moaning Myrtle’s toilet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They reached the lake a minute later, and Percy dropped her off with Will and then jogged away in the direction of the Big House.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will introduced her to Nico and then offered her a sandwich. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she took a bite.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“After we eat, we can show you around Camp and get you set up with a bed. Plus you can meet the siblings. How does that sound?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” Harper agreed and took another bite.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They wrapped up a few minutes later, and Will led them back in the direction of Camp.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Harper,” he said. “It seems you’re from England, is that right?” Harper nodded in response. “What brings you here?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m visiting my aunt and cousin for the summer,” she said. “I ran into a griffin, and Percy and Annabeth found me and brought me here. Apollo claimed me along the way.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t exactly get many demigods from other countries. The gods kind of like to stick to North America, since it’s the center of Western civilization.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harper scoffed. “What’s wrong with England?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “That’s just the way it’s been,” he said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, well, my mom went to college here. She always told me she fell in love with my father while she was here, but he left when she got pregnant. She was bitter about how their relationship ended, so she decided to move back to England to try and forget. I guess there was a bit more to it than she told me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s very possible she never knew,” Nico said. “She probably thought Apollo was a regular guy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway,” Will interrupted as they reached a large area centered around what looked like a spot for a fire. “This is the amphitheater. We have campfires here a lot of nights, and we sing songs. It’s a fun time.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you like Will’s singing,” Nico added.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, you love my singing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Will, you can’t sing,” Nico said, rolling his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will turned back to Harper. “He’s lying. I’m a fantastic singer. Anyway, over there is the climbing wall. It sprays lava and smashes together if you don’t climb fast enough. Great training, I guess, but it really gives me a lot of extra work in the infirmary.” Harper decided to avoid the climbing wall.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will turned and headed for another open structure. “Next is the mess hall. We have all our meals here, so you’ll be here later tonight for dinner.” He continued walking. “Also, don’t go in the woods alone, at least not until you’ve done a lot of training. There’s lots of stuff lurking in there.” Harper wondered what it was with magical places having a dangerous forest right there. It seemed pretty unsafe for first years and new campers alike.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, let's head back to our cabin. We can get you set up with a bed. And I can show you the rest another time, but over there is the arena where we practice fighting, and the armory. We’ll have to get you a weapon sometime in the next few days.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nico said goodbye when they reached the door to the Apollo cabin, and Harper followed Will inside. Kayla was still there, as was another boy who looked to be around her age.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Austin,” the boy said, reaching out to shake Harper’s hand. “Welcome to Apollo cabin.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you,” Harper said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Harper, you can have this bed over here,” Will said, pointing to an empty bed along the wall.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks. I think I’m gonna lay down for a little. It’s been a long day.” Harper slipped her backpack off her shoulders and dropped it next to her bed, sinking down onto the mattress. She flopped onto her back and closed her eyes, and despite the excitement of the day, exhaustion won out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harper awoke to Will gently shaking her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Chiron wants you back at The Big House. He said he needs to talk to you. I think they’ve got a prophecy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A prophecy?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whenever there’s a big problem or something, we have to get a prophecy to help guide us with what we should do. There’s a girl here named Rachel who has a spirit inside her, and she’s able to give prophecies. Not sure what it’s about this time, but it probably means some sort of quest is happening. You’ll have to go see Chiron to find out exactly what’s going on.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harper got up reluctantly. She grabbed her wand and tucked it into her back pocket before leaving the cabin. When she walked into The Big House, Chiron, Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia were seated at the table, looking rattled. There was someone else at the table, too, a redheaded girl with intense green eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Will said you wanted to see me?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, dear. Have a seat,” Chiron said gently. “This is Rachel, our oracle. We filled her in on everything you told us about magic. She’s just given us a prophecy, and we think you need to hear it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel leaned forward.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Child of magic and Olympus combined</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shall return to where the sun has not shined</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The parents’ gifts will guide the way</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>To restore light with a new day.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harper was quiet for a moment, trying to process the words. “So. . . what does that mean? I guess I’m the child, and the place without sun would be England, but, like, what do I actually need to do?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Prophecies are never overly clear,” Chiron said. “The full meaning will likely not be revealed until it has come to pass. But the prophecy helps to guide you. There will be a quest to England, with you and two companions. Three is the usual number for a quest.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And when I get there?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The three of you will have to figure that out for yourselves,” Chiron said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But it sounds like you’ll succeed, so that’s good,” Percy said. “And I guess Apollo’s gifts will help you. Have you noticed any special strengths, besides magic, of course?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I can’t control sunlight or anything. What can his kids usually do?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Apollo is the god of many things,” Annabeth said. “So it varies a lot. But his children are usually good at archery, healing, or music.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never touched a bow. And I’m not very musical. But I’m really good at healing! I actually work in the hospital wing at my school.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, maybe you’ll just heal all of England and fix everything,” Percy said. Thalia rolled her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, who are my two companions?” Harper asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I really wish I could go,” Thalia said. “But Artemis ordered me to stay and watch over the Hunters.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other. An agreement seemed to pass between them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll go with you, if you’d like that,” Annabeth said. “Of course, this is your quest, so it’s your choice. If you would rather take someone else, you can.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you guys would be great. Thank you so much,” Harper said quickly, relief spreading through her. At least she’d have some people who knew what they were doing along with her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Percy smiled. “Of course. We’ll leave in the morning. I can’t go on a plane, so we’re going to have to get there a different way. We can ask Nico to shadow travel us there. It’s . . . Well, you’ll see.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harper didn’t love the sound of that, but she’d worry about it in the morning. “Wonderful. Uh, what about my aunt? She texted me earlier asking when I’d be home, and I just told her I was exploring the city and I’d let her know later.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mist?” Thalia suggested, glancing at Chiron. “That seems like the easiest thing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I agree,” Chiron said. “Harper, I assume you have things at your aunt’s house that you’d like to go back for. You and Thalia can go tonight to get them, and then Thalia can manipulate the Mist so that your aunt will think you were never here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the Mist?” Harper asked. “It sounds like a memory charm and . . .” Harper trailed off, unsure.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s basically a magical veil that prevents mortals from seeing things that don’t fit into their worldview, such as monsters.” So that was why the people at Central Park hadn’t looked concerned about the griffin. Harper wondered what they’d seen instead. “It can also be manipulated to more directly change people’s perspective of certain events,” Chiron explained.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise, the Mist is harmless,” Thalia said. “It won’t change anything except making her think you didn’t come visit for the summer.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harper hesitated. She was not a fan of memory charms, but she wasn’t sure what else to do. “I guess that’s okay, then,” she said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great,” Annabeth said. “Then you and Thalia can head there, and I’ll talk to Nico. See you back here in a bit."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Harper and Thalia, along with her dark cloud, climbed out of the backseat of the car. Argus, whom Thalia introduced to Harper as the camp security guard, had driven them to the apartment. His skin was covered in eyes everywhere that she could see, but at this point nothing surprised her. Somehow, the greek world was weirder than the wizarding one, which was saying a lot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They went up the front steps and knocked. A few moments later, Harper’s aunt opened the door, her son on her hip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harper! Where have you been all day? I was starting to worry but I thought maybe you could handle yourself as long as you had your wand but . . . Oh, I see you’ve brought a friend . . . She’s a bit cloudy . . .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Aunt Marlene. This is Thalia. I’m just here to grab my stuff while you and Thalia get acquainted, and then I’ll be on my way,” Harper said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Confused, Aunt Marlene started to say something, but then Thalia snapped her fingers. “Harper was never here. She was in England all along. It’s where she’s spending this whole summer.” Aunt Marlene’s eyes clouded for a bit, and Thalia glanced at Harper and mouthed “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Go</span>
  </em>
  <span>”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper ran through the house to the room where she had been staying. She pulled out her wand, shouted “Pack!” and gave the wand a quick wave. Everything in the room that belonged to her aside from the wand in her hand and the clothes on her body flew into the suitcase by the bed. The bag conveniently zipped itself up and righted itself. Harper grabbed its handle and dragged it out to the front door. Thalia snapped her fingers again and gave a final “Harper is spending the summer in England and everything about this day was normal,” for good measure, and they were on their way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Back in the car, Thalia said, “How did you pack everything—oh, you have some kind of packing spell, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have something similar that the Hunters use to pack up if we have to leave in a rush.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pretty handy, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After dinner, Harper sat with her cabin in the amphitheater, listening to the rest of the campers sing, the fire rising along with their voices.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You okay, Harper?” Kayla asked, leaning over to talk in her ear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper nodded. “Just tired. And nervous for my quest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s understandable. You can go to bed early, if you want. No one will blame you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper glanced over to where Percy and Annabeth were sitting together amidst a group of friends, laughing and singing. Of course </span>
  <em>
    <span>they </span>
  </em>
  <span>weren’t nervous. They’d probably been on a hundred quests at this point.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kayla followed her gaze. “You can’t compare yourself to them. And you’re in good hands. First quests are always scary, but you couldn’t have better companions. They’ve faced pretty much everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Except this, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Harper thought. But still, Kayla was right. Even if this particular problem was new to them, they’d been through a lot, and were probably good at adapting along the way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you head back to the cabin and try to get some rest?” Kayla suggested. “I can come with you, if you want.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think I’ll go back. And thanks, but I’ll be okay on my own,” Harper said. She stood up and headed back toward Apollo’s cabin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat on her bed and bent down to pull her shoes off. When she leaned back, there was someone sitting in the bed across from her. Harper jumped. The guy definitely wasn’t there a few seconds ago.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um . . . can I help you?” she asked warily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harper, it’s me, Apollo. You know, your dad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took in the sight of him. Blond hair hanging over blue eyes—the same shade of blue as hers. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and he looked way too young to be her father. In fact, he looked only a few years older than her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, hey, Dad. I guess it’s nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, try to sound a little more excited! I’m Apollo! God of the sun, of prophecies, and archery, and music, and healing, and probably some other stuff I forgot. How is this not the coolest thing to ever happen to you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Apollo, I’m a wizard. I can do magic, which is pretty damn cool. But I guess singing is nice too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, my daughter’s a wizard. How could I forget,” he said drily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My home and my friends are in danger, all thanks to you. I get that you have a whole lot of kids running around this earth, so you might not care about me, but you would think you would have the tiniest bit of shame at putting an entire school in harm’s way. And all over a stupid cow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Apollo’s eyes darkened. “Daisy was not a stupid cow. The whole herd is sacred. They’re very important to me. But that’s beside the point. I put my cows in the forest near Hogwarts to protect you. I figured if anyone else in the greek world saw my cattle there, they’d stay away. I didn’t want the other Olympians to stumble across your world because I knew the combination would be bad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A whole lot of good that did. The darkness from your petty fight with Artemis is spreading across the entire country. Monsters are attacking people. But you’re a god. I guess it’s nothing to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harper, I’m not really here right now . . .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very funny.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m actually in England. This is just a small part of me. The rest of me is in the Forbidden Forest with Artemis. We’re trying to control the spread of the darkness. We thought between the two of us we’d be able to hold it back, but it’s not going too well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you made the darkness yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but what’s spreading through England isn’t the same darkness I cast over the Hunters. Not anymore. Something about it is . . . wrong. I don’t understand it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper was taken aback. If two gods together couldn’t stop it, what would she be able to do? Even with the help of Percy and Annabeth, she couldn’t see how they’d fare any better than Artemis and Apollo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Apollo flickered before her eyes as he looked away from her. “Uh oh, Artemis is in a bit of trouble. I should go. But I’ll see you again soon, when you come to fix all this! Bye!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“. . . Bye, Dad,” Harper said, but he was already gone.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the sun rose over camp, Harper gave up on trying to get any more sleep. She’d been tossing and turning for hours, worrying about what today was going to bring. She dragged a brush through her hair and pulled on jeans and a red Gryffindor t-shirt, plain with a little lion above her heart. She slipped out the door of her cabin, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.</p><p> </p><p>She wandered towards the side of camp Will hadn’t shown her. As she passed a large building that she was pretty sure Will had identified as the arena, she heard a thud from inside. Wondering who else would be awake at this hour of morning, Harper went inside. It was a big open room, and along one side a lone figure moved among a group of dummies, slicing them to pieces.</p><p> </p><p>The boy turned as she approached, and she realized it was Nico.</p><p> </p><p>“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, walking over to her.</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head. “You?”</p><p> </p><p>“I come here in the mornings sometimes,” Nico said, which Harper realized wasn’t really an answer.</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t look like you need the training. Those dummies didn’t stand a chance.”</p><p> </p><p>He offered up a small smile. “Do you have a weapon?”</p><p> </p><p>Harper thought of her wand, tucked into her jeans. “I, uh, no. I don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, we’ve got to fix that. You can’t leave on a quest today without a weapon.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay. It’s not like I’d have time to learn to use it, anyway,” Harper said.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been told I’m a pretty good teacher,” Nico said. “And we have a few hours. Let’s go get you a sword. Actually, no. We should try a bow and arrow first.”</p><p> </p><p>Not seeing a way out, Harper followed Nico out of the arena and over to the archery range. He selected a bow in her size and grabbed a quiver of arrows. He showed her where to position her hands and how to place the arrow and shoot. Her first five attempts simply clattered to the ground. The sixth went somewhat in the direction of the target, but on the seventh she somehow managed to nearly hit Nico, despite the fact that he was behind her.</p><p> </p><p>She threw her bow down in frustration. “I leave in a couple of hours. This is never going to work.”</p><p> </p><p>Nico was rubbing his leg where her arrow had grazed it. “Yeah, I think you’re right. Wanna try a sword?”</p><p> </p><p><em> Not especially, </em>Harper thought. But she doubted Nico was going to let up, so she agreed to give it a shot. Besides, she was ambidextrous, and she figured it couldn’t hurt to be able to fight with her non-wand hand. </p><p> </p><p>Nico led her to the armory, where he handed her sword after sword, frowning at each one. It was very much like the process of choosing a wand, although with significantly less sparks. He finally settled on one, and she had to admit it felt good in her grip.</p><p> </p><p>Back in the arena, Nico showed her the basics of how to hold it and swing it, and she immediately decided she liked this much better than archery. She was able to behead a dummy on her first try.</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” Nico said. “But remember your enemies aren’t going to just stand there and let themselves be beheaded. Try to fight me.”</p><p> </p><p>“You want me to slash at you with a sword?” Harper asked, and Nico laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m pretty sure I can block it. Go ahead.”</p><p> </p><p>For the next hour, Nico had her work on offense and defense, and by the time Percy and Annabeth walked in, she was drenched in sweat, panting, and feeling great. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have a weapon to fight with other than her wand.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” Percy said. “Not too shabby.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, Nico’s a great teacher,” Harper replied.</p><p> </p><p>“We should probably get going soon,” said Annabeth. “Have you eaten yet?” Harper shook her head. “Alright, let’s get some breakfast and then head out.”</p><p> </p><p>While they ate, Harper told Percy and Annabeth about her encounter with Apollo the night before.</p><p> </p><p> Annabeth leaned forward. “He said the darkness isn’t in his control anymore?”</p><p> </p><p>“More or less, yeah. He said it’s changed somehow. I don’t see how we’d be able to fight it off if he and Artemis can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, the prophecy says we’ll figure it out,” Percy pointed out. “Bring all the Apollo-ness you’ve got.”</p><p> </p><p>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>After breakfast, they packed up their supplies and headed to the Big House to see Chiron before they left. Thalia was there too, still shrouded in darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad to hear they’re still fighting and haven’t been overpowered or anything,” said Thalia when Harper told her and Chiron about her conversation with Apollo.</p><p> </p><p>“You’d better get going, then,” Chiron said. “It sounds like they could use your help.”</p><p> </p><p>With that, they left to find Nico. “Alright, guys, just grab on to me. Harper, it’s going to feel like a very dark rollercoaster. It’ll be over quick. Now, where are we going?”</p><p> </p><p>“My house,” Harper said. “It’s in the outskirts of London.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay. Hold on tight,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>One second they were at Camp Half-Blood, and then the next Harper felt like she was going a million miles an hour. It was a bit like using Floo powder. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were standing outside her house. She could see the cloud of darkness not too far away.</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Nico said, “This is where I leave you. Good luck.” When Harper looked up, he had disappeared.</p><p> </p><p>Harper turned to Percy and Annabeth. “We need to get to the forest. It’s too far to walk, so I think our best bet will be to take the Knight Bus. It’s not exactly the smoothest ride, but . . . you’re used to Shadow Travel, so it’ll be fine.” She raised her wand hand into the air, and seconds later an oddly shaped bus came out of nowhere and screeched to a halt right in front of them. The door swung open, and the three of them clambered on.</p><p> </p><p>“Where to?” the driver, a very elderly wizard, asked gruffly.</p><p> </p><p>“Hogwarts,” Harper said, and the word was hardly out of her mouth before the bus was speeding away. She fell back into Percy, who caught her and helped her up. They managed to stumble over and sit down—not that it was much use, since the seats were not attached to anything and slid around with every swerve of the bus.</p><p> </p><p>A minute later, the bus entered the hazy darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“Can the driver see?” Percy asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Probably not really,” Harper admitted. “But the bus is enchanted so that things move out of its way. I’m sure it’s fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Percy said. “I don’t doubt it. I’ve been on taxis before where the driver can’t see, and I lived.”</p><p> </p><p>About twenty minutes later, the bus came to an abrupt halt.</p><p> </p><p>“Hogwarts!” the driver shouted. “That’ll be nine sickles.” Harper fished the money out of her backpack and handed it to him, and they climbed off the bus. It immediately sped off.</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Percy said. “That sure was fun.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, it was the fastest way here,” Harper said. She could just make out the outline of Hogwarts’ spires in the darkness. They were near the front entrance, the Forbidden Forest to their left. Somehow, it seemed to be even darker there. </p><p> </p><p>Harper pulled out her wand. “<em> Lumos! </em> ” she whispered, and the tip of the wand burst into light. It wasn’t much for the three of them to see by, but it was something. They took a step toward the forest, and the light went out. “ <em> Lumos! </em>” Her wand lit up again, only to fizzle out a few seconds later. It seemed like the darkness was interfering. Percy uncapped his sword, which glowed faintly, and they headed towards the forest, Harper keeping up a steady stream of spells, her wand pulsing like a strobe light.</p><p> </p><p>They made their way into the woods, the darkness thickening the deeper they went. They didn’t see or hear Apollo or Artemis, but that didn’t mean much. The forest was huge. Harper stopped short as a loud, rumbling sound began to build, crescendoing until it seemed to shake the trees around them. The three of them froze.</p><p> </p><p>“What the <em> heck </em>was that?” Percy asked. </p><p> </p><p>Annabeth drew her dagger. “Was—was that a moo?” The ground shook as something massive moved towards them, and when it emerged out of the trees, Harper could hardly comprehend what she was seeing. The darkness made it impossible to see the whole thing at once. Harper moved her wand around, trying to make out what the creature was. It was covered in a white hide with black spots, each big enough that she, Percy, and Annabeth could comfortably stand in them. Its head was massive, and probably about fifteen feet in the air. It opened its mouth and let out what was now unmistakably a moo, revealing three rows of sharp bloodstained teeth.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh boy,” she breathed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“That’s a new one,” Percy said, staring up at it. “Just when I think I must have met every monster there is. I’ve fought enough stupid cow things in my life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper fumbled for her sword, her hand shaking slightly. She tried to breathe. “Maybe it's an herbivore,” she suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not with those teeth,” Annabeth pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are the chances it’s one of those if we don’t bother it it won’t bother us situations?” Harper tried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cow looked down at them and mooed again, its hot breath washing over them. Harper yelped and jumped out of the way as it snapped its teeth at the ground near her feet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna say none,” Percy said. He glanced at Annabeth, who gave him a small nod, and they launched into action. Percy capped his sword and shoved it into his pocket. He ran for a nearby tree and began scaling it, while Annabeth looked up at the monster.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“HEY!” she yelled. “DOWN HERE!” The cow, which had watched Percy jump onto the tree, turned its attention back to Annabeth. Harper wasn’t sure what to do. Her sword hung limply by her side as she kept up the pulsing of her wand light.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WE'RE GONNA MAKE YOU INTO SOME BEEF JERKY!” Annabeth continued. The cow mooed and snapped its teeth at them again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper glanced up to check where Percy was, but it was too dark to make him out, and she didn’t dare point the light at him. She figured a few more insults wouldn’t hurt. “GRASS-BREATH!” she shouted. The cow mooed again. She yelled another </span>
  <em>
    <span>lumos</span>
  </em>
  <span> spell, and in the light of her wand she saw Percy drop onto the cow’s back. “What now?” she asked Annabeth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Annabeth had already shot forward, running towards the cow. It didn’t seem like the best idea to Harper, but she followed suit. When Annabeth skirted around to one of its back legs, her dagger ready, she understood. She ran for the other back leg, and together they started slashing at the cow’s legs, weakening it and distracting it from Percy scaling it. Harper even jumped and took a brave stab at the back of its knee. Annabeth did the same. The cow mooed in agony, its legs buckling. As she and Annabeth ran for its front legs, Harper could see that Percy had made his way to its neck. He was struggling to hang on to the now-seated cow. They needed to hurry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Harper started slashing at the front legs, she saw Annabeth sprint until she was facing the cow again. “HEY! LOOK AT ME!” she screamed. “THAT’S RIGHT! I JUST STABBED YOU!” It bent its head down, looking at Annabeth, and Percy, who had been hanging onto the cow by one hand, climbed back onto its neck. Relieved, Harper started to cross over to the other leg, but just then, the cow knocked its head into Annabeth, throwing her in the air. She yelled out in pain as she fell to the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper heard Percy growl. “This is for hurting Annabeth, you sorry excuse for a monster.” He stabbed his sword down at the cow’s neck, and it exploded into dust. Percy fell and rolled to a stand. They both sped towards Annabeth. In the light of Harper’s wand, they could see her wrist was bent the wrong way and already starting to swell. Percy cursed and started rummaging in his backpack, but Harper was faster.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Brackium Emendo!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she shouted. The light in her wand went out as she waved it. It shot out a beam of blue light instead, and Annabeth’s wrist righted itself. Another </span>
  <em>
    <span>lumos</span>
  </em>
  <span> spell revealed Annabeth shaking her hand out, good as new.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Annabeth said, “That was some serious healing magic. Even our best healers couldn’t have pulled that off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d never quite understood why I was so good at healing spells, but I guess it makes sense, with Apollo being my dad and all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They froze at the sound of branches breaking nearby.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy groaned. “Please don’t let that be another monster.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rustling noise came closer, until two figures stepped out into the light of Harper’s wand. She recognized one of them as her father. The girl next to him looked much younger, maybe twelve, dressed in a silver tunic and leggings with her hair braided back. A bow was slung over her shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi there, Harper!” Apollo said. “Percy, Annabeth, it’s great to see you guys again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Likewise,” Percy grumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Artemis looked at the dust scattered over the ground. “Did you kill the Bovus?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Annabeth said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. I don’t know how it escaped its prison, but I’m glad it’s back in Tartarus now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, the darkness,” Annabeth said. “What have you learned about it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I put the darkness over the Hunters,” Apollo said. “It wasn’t supposed to be tied to the forest or spread at all. But something is different about it, and nothing Artemis or I do seems to have any effect.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It must be something with all the magic in this forest,” Harper said. “But that doesn’t explain how to fix it. According to the prophecy, I’m supposed to use your gifts, but I don’t really know what that entails.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is the prophecy?” Apollo asked, and Harper recited it for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s tricky. I have given you a lot of gifts,” Apollo said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um,” Harper said. “Can you be more specific?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re great at healing!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Harper said. “And I’m just going to wave my wand and </span>
  <em>
    <span>heal </span>
  </em>
  <span>the darkness.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Annabeth said. “It might be worth a try.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go back to where Apollo first cursed my Hunters, and you can try there. That’s where the darkness is thickest, and I think we need to fix it from the source,” Artemis suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all agreed, so the gods led them deeper into the forest, the darkness thickening to the point where Harper’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>lumos</span>
  </em>
  <span> spell lasted only a second.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, they came to a stop. Harper had never been this far into the forest before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is where I cursed the Hunters,” Apollo said. “And where Artemis and I have been trying and failing to stop it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, so I guess I just try a healing spell?” Harper said. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Reparifors!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” The darkness seemed to clear right around her wand, but more immediately moved to take its place. She took a breath and tried again, raising her wand and shouting the word. Again, a small patch of darkness cleared for a moment. She closed her eyes, trying not to get discouraged. She could do this. The prophecy said she could. And her mom and all her friends were counting on her, even if they didn’t know it. She opened her eyes. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>REPARIFORS!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The patch that cleared this time was ever so slightly larger, and lasted a few seconds longer. But it was nowhere near enough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re doing great,” Percy said. “Keep trying.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper took a few more deep breaths. She tried to sense the darkness around her, letting it settle before shouting the spell again. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>REPARIFORS!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” It wasn’t any better than the last one. If anything, it was worse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any other spells?” Annabeth suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If any would work, it would probably be this one. But I can try.” She rattled off a handful of other assorted healing spells, none of which made the least bit of difference.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper threw her wand down in frustration. “This is never going to work. I can’t do anything against all of this. I don’t know what I was thinking.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say that!” Apollo said. “You’re already doing way better than Artemis and I were, and we’re gods.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But these spells aren’t doing anything, and I don’t know what else to try.”  Harper felt tears prickling in the backs of her eyes. Everyone was counting on her, and she was a complete failure of a wizard and a demigod.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A branch snapped nearby, and they all turned as a light bobbed out of the woods, followed by a woman holding a torch. The light only illuminated her legs as she held it in front of her, but Harper bent down to pick up her wand, and a brief </span>
  <em>
    <span>lumos</span>
  </em>
  <span> spell showed off enough of her face to recognize her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Harper?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“What—How are you—What are you doing in England?” Harper’s mom exclaimed. “Your aunt has got to be so worried . . .” she trailed off as she looked around and saw Percy, Annabeth, and Artemis. Harper saw the look on her face change as her eyes landed on Apollo. “Fred? How are you here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fred?” Harper wondered aloud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shannon,” Apollo said, “It’s good to see you again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does Harper know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That I’m her father? Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look exactly the same as you did fifteen years ago.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Apollo looked down at himself, as if surprised. “I suppose I do. There’s a lot we have to get into.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper’s stomach sank as she realized her mother knew nothing of the greek world. She had hoped, maybe, that it was something they could share after the chaos was over. But it was clear her mother was clueless. Suddenly, Harper felt so alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mom, this is Percy and Annabeth,” she said, indicating them, “that’s Artemis, and you know my dad.” She was unsure what else to call him. “We should probably sit down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As they settled down, Harper looked to Apollo. He nodded reassuringly, as if to say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve got this.</span>
  </em>
  <span> When they were all seated, somewhat uncomfortably, on the forest floor, he said gently, “Shannon, Fred’s not really my name. I’m Apollo, the greek god of the sun, archery, poetry, and healing. Among others.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper’s mom looked terribly confused. “You’re a god?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Apollo replied. “All those stories about Zeus, and Athena, and me are true.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um . . .” She looked skeptical.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Since Harper is our child, that makes her a demigod. She inherits some of my powers. Each of my children is skilled in a different aspect of my abilities. For Harper, that’s healing. Percy and Annabeth are also demigods, but not my children. And Artemis is my sister. She’s a goddess too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, nope. That can’t possibly be true.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper turned to her mother. “I know it seems that way, but I promise you it’s true. They have a camp in New York, and they found me after I was attacked by a griffin. It’s all real.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her mother must have seen in her eyes that she was telling the truth, and she nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. As weird as that sounds, I believe you. But why are you all here? And what does all of this have to do with the darkness? I heard Harper trying healing spells.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll get into that, but first, mom, why are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>here?” Harper asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The ministry has been working on figuring out what happened, but they have no idea what they’re doing. As usual. So I decided to come check it out and see if I could figure anything out on my own.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makes sense,” Harper said. “Did you learn anything useful?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not yet,” her mother admitted. “Maybe you guys could help. Although I can’t see how the greek gods have anything to do with this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we actually have quite a lot to do with it.” Apollo gave her the same explanation he had given Harper the night before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But how could a healing spell fix it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harper was given a prophecy to guide her, and it said her parent’s gifts would help her solve the problem. Since she inherited her healing abilities from me, we thought it might be the solution.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. I know this is going back a bit, but Harper, how did you do a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lumos </span>
  </em>
  <span>spell when I first got here? No one else can do them. That’s why I have this clunky torch.” She held it up, flicking it on and off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Harper said. “It doesn’t work very well. It’s really dim, and only lasts for a few seconds.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mine doesn’t work at all,” her mother said. She pulled out her wand and attempted to cast the spell, and, as promised, nothing happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe it’s because Apollo is the god of light,” Artemis suggested.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That makes sense,” Annabeth said. “But in terms of fixing this, healing does seem to make a little bit of a difference. If we could amplify that spell somehow, it might be able to dispel the darkness for good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Percy nodded. “Apollo, have you tried any healing on the darkness?” When Apollo shook his head, Percy continued. “Maybe you could try that. And Harper can keep trying with the spell.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Worth a shot,” Apollo agreed, getting to his feet. The rest of them stood up too. They each moved to their own little area and got to work. Harper watched as Apollo’s hands began to glow, the darkness around them ebbing slightly. A few feet away, her mother began firing off healing spells, each not doing much at all. To her left, Percy rummaged in his backpack and pulled out a ziploc bag, from which he started breaking off crumbs and tossing them into the air. This did not seem to have any impact on anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She focused her concentration on her own task, gripping her wand tightly. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Reparifors!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Again, a bit of darkness faded before coming back. She didn’t see how this could possibly work. Nevertheless, she kept at it, until Annabeth interrupted a few minutes later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I don’t think any of you individually are making much of a difference. Percy, stop wasting all the ambrosia. Apollo and Harper, why don’t you try working together?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper glanced at her father. “How exactly do we do that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stand next to each other, and try to coordinate it at the same time,” Annabeth instructed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with Apollo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” he asked her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. On three. One, two, three!” His hands began glowing, and Harper shouted the spell, channeling everything she had into it. A burst of light surrounded them, and Harper felt a jolt of excitement. But the light soon faded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay,” Annabeth said. “That was significant progress. Do it again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So they did. And then they did again. And again. And again, until Harper was on the verge of tears once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, honey,” her mother said, approaching and pulling Harper into a hug. “You’re doing great. And I know you have it in you. One more try.” Harper started to shake her head. “Come on, I’ll do the spell with you. You’ve got this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. I can do this. One more try,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Harper thought to herself. She nodded. Her mother clasped her hand over Harper’s where she held her wand and lifted her own wand in her free hand. Apollo squeezed Harper’s free hand supportively.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll count to three,” Annabeth said. “One, two, three!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>REPARIFORS!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Harper screamed along with her mother, and a strange feeling ran through her. Apollo’s hand, which was still holding hers, began to glow, and she faintly registered that both her hands were glowing too. A ball of light radiated out from their joined hands and from both Harper and her mother’s wands, first surrounding Harper and her parents, and then spreading outward. Amazingly, it didn’t seem to be overpowered by the darkness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper watched, her mouth open in a little ‘O’, as the light emanating from the bubble continued to grow and overcame the darkness around them. She heard her mother gasp. When she looked up, she could see sunlight filtering through the leaves above. The light they had created stretched beyond her line of vision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve done it! You healed the darkness!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you might have helped, too,” Apollo said to Shannon, smiling. He bent down to hug Harper, and she leaned into it. “You were amazing, kid.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Remy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>GUYS IT’S GONE</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Elaina</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>JUST LIKE THAT</span>
</p><p>
  <span>WTF</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Blake</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>HOW???</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>WHAT</span>
</p><p>
  <span>that’s wildddd</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Elaina</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>This giant ball of light exploded out from</span>
</p><p>
  <span>the forbidden forest and the darkness just</span>
</p><p>
  <span>disappeared</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Remy</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>I can’t wait to hear what the ministry says</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Blake</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>I’d bet money they take full credit even tho they have</span>
</p><p>
  <span>no clue what happened</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh 100%</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was hard to lie to her friends, but she understood why she had to. They’d all agreed that it all had to stay between them. They weren’t sure what would happen if the two worlds found out about each other, but based on the weird power that arose from this brief combination, it didn’t seem like it would be anything good. Harper would exist in both worlds separately, spending her school years at Hogwarts and her summers at camp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have a great rest of your summer, and I’ll see you in August,” her mom said, hugging her tightly. “And stay in touch. If you can’t text, send me one of those weird Iris message things that Annabeth used to tell Nico you were ready.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harper nodded. “I will. I love you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you too!” her mom said, and Harper stepped over to Percy, Annabeth, and Nico, and braced herself as Nico grabbed her wrist and they vanished. Apollo had said he would meet them there, and Artemis had promised she’d hold him to it. Now that the darkness had been healed, he needed to remove his curse from her Hunters so they could go back to the wild.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You ready for your first Capture the Flag?” Kayla asked, adjusting Harper’s armor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So ready,” she answered. She’d spent a lot of time over the last week and a half since getting back with Will, Kayla, and Austin, and she couldn’t have asked for better siblings. She’d also had a couple more sword-fighting sessions with Nico, and she thought that given a little more time, they would be friends. She missed Blake, Remy, and Elaina a lot, but she knew she was really going to miss her new friends just as much when the time came to go back to Hogwarts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everyone get in position!” Percy called out to their team. “Apollo, Athena, Demeter, you’re on defense. Nike, Hephaestus, Nico, and I are offense. Ready to win this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all cheered and scattered to their assigned spots.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From the distance, the conch horn sounded, and Capture the Flag began.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that's the end! Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed. Drop a comment and let us know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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